On October 12, 2014 the Estonian customs service refused entrance to V.A. Tishkov, an academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences. After spending the night at Tallinn airport he had to return to Moscow, the next flight departing only the following morning. Feeling offended, irritated and exhausted, he expressed his indignation in two Facebook posts that were immediately distributed via social and mass media and published on the official website of RAS Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology. This was followed by a Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement. In the tense political climate of these days, the continuing discussions around the incident are becoming increasingly scandalous.

Sympathizing with the elderly man, who unexpectedly and without any reasons explained was treated in such a humiliating manner, we consider it necessary to give attention to the other side of the matter that has been almost completely excluded from public discussions.

As early as his first “post” V.A. Tishkov called, in case the Estonian government doesn’t apologize, to sever relations with the Estonian scholars (who have however nothing to do with the Tallinn airport incident), at the same time characterizing them in most insulting terms, although it is a well-known fact that no government, Estonian or Russian, ever apologizes for acts of this kind. He suggested that the Estonian colleagues are not invited to the Congress of Ethnologists and Anthropologists due to be held in Yekaterinburg in the coming year. In his second “post” though he admitted that their visit could be possible but didn’t withdraw his offensive remarks and pejorative terms. Shall we then be surprised that the Estonian scholars are holding back from expressing their sympathy with V.A. Tishkov or blaming their administration, or at that the most temperamental of them (see Urmas Sutrop’s comments) are using retaliatory insults of the same style addressed to the Russian science in general and all Russian scholars.

In the harsh Soviet times, the best of our country’s humanities scholars could stick with great dignity to the ethical principles of the intellectual scholar brotherhood that ignored national or ideological borders. The Estonian city of Tartu was the place where lived and taught Yury Lotman, whose works were the pride of our country’s science; his Russian, Estonian and all other students were lucky to have this honour. He was head of the famous Moscow-Tartu semiotic school, a milestone in the humanities of the second half of the 20th century. These ties were maintained over the post-Soviet decades, and today the University of Tartu is no less appealing for the Russian researchers in the humanities.

Since it is obvious that no apologies for the offensive words will follow, we, the Russian scholars who signed this letter, consider it our duty to take this mission upon ourselves and apologize to all those who felt hurt by the words of V.A. Tishkov, which we hope were said merely on the spur of the moment. It is superfluous to add that we have great respect for the Estonian scholars, our colleagues and friends, as well as for the Estonian science.

We call to everyone who values international solidarity in the scientific community to make every possible effort and put a stop to the spiralling mutual accusations and embitterment evidently leading our science into the precipice of disastrous self-isolation.

Neklyudov Sergey Yur’evich, Professor, Doctor of Philology (Moscow)
Arhipova Aleksandra Sergeevna, PhD in Philology, Senior research fellow (Moscow)
Antonov Dmitriy Igorevich, PhD in History, Associate professor (Moscow)
Percov Nikolay Viktorovich, Doctor of Philology, Leading research fellow (Moscow)
Moroz Andrey Borisovich, Doctor of Philology, Professor (Moscow)
Lur’e Mihail Lazarevich, PhD in Art History, Associate professor (Saint Petersburg)
Ahmetova Mariya Vyacheslavovna, PhD in Philology, Senior research fellow (Moscow)
Rozenblyum Ol’ga Mihaylovna, PhD in Philology, Associate professor (Moscow)
Levinton Georgiy Ahillovich, PhD in Philology, Professor (Saint Petersburg)
Perlov Arkadiy Marksovich, PhD in History, Associate professor (Moscow)
Chervaneva Viktoriya Alekseevna, PhD in Philology, Associate professor (Voronezh)
Itkin Il’ya Borisovich, PhD in Philology, Senior research fellow (Moscow)
Panchenko Aleksandr Aleksandrovich, Doctor of Philology, Professor (Saint Petersburg)
Vekshin Georgiy Viktorovich, Doctor of Philology, Professor (Moscow)
Podgaec Alla Solomonovna, Science Editor (Moscow)
Koptev Nikita Vasil’evich, MA in Philology (Moscow)
Belova Ol’ga Vladislavovna, Doctor of Philology, Leading research fellow (Moscow)
Solov’eva Alevtina Andreevna, Senior lecturer (Moscow)
Berezovich Elena L’vovna, Doctor of Philology, Professor (Yekaterinburg)
Nekrylova Anna Fedorovna, PhD in Art History, Leading research fellow (Saint Petersburg)
Kotlyar Elena Semenovna, Doctor of Philology, Chief researcher (Moscow)
Shumilova Elena Petrovna, Science editor (Moscow)
Vozyakova Natal’ya Vladimirovna, PhD in Philology (Moscow)
Erusalimskiy Konstantin Yur’evich, PhD in History, Associate professor (Moscow)
Linkova Yana Sergeevna, PhD in Philology, Associate professor (Moscow)
Oleynikov Andrey Andreevich, PhD in Philosophy, Associate professor (Moscow)
Ospovat Kirill Aleksandrovich, PhD in Philology (Moscow)
Staf Irina Karlovna, PhD in Philology, Senior research fellow (Moscow)
Annanurova Ol’ga Mihaylovna, MA in Cultural Studies (Moscow)
Markov Aleksandr Viktorovich, PhD in Philosophy, Associate professor (Moscow)
Bronnikova Dar’ya Kirillovna, MA student (Moscow)
Garder Mihail Olegovich, MA student (Moscow)
Lyahova Yuliya Viktorovna, MA student (Moscow)
Makarov Semen Semenovich, MA student (Moscow)
Delyaeva Yuliya Alekseevna, MA student (Moscow)
Neklyudova Mariya Sergeevna, PhD, Senior research fellow (Moscow)
Nikolaeva Svetlana Valer’evna, MA in Anthropology and Ethnology (Saint Petersburg)
Hazdan Evgeniya Vladimirovna, PhD in Art History (Saint Petersburg)
Lyapin Denis Aleksandrovich, PhD in History (Yelets)
Kovalevskaya Anna Igorevna, MA student (Moscow)
Kitanina Tat’yana Aleksandrovna, PhD in Philology, Senior research fellow (Saint Petersburg)
Bayduzh Marina Innokent’evna, Visiting researcher (Moscow/Tyumen’)
Grin’ko Ivan Aleksandrovich, PhD in History (Moscow)
Fedorova Sof’ya Viktorovna, PhD in Philology (Petrozavodsk)
Mariya L’vovna Mayofis, PhD in Cultural Studies, Associate professor (Moscow)
Makarov Aleksey Alekseevich, International historical and civil rights society “Memorial" (Moscow)
Sheveleva Aleksandra Igorevna, MA in Philology (Moscow)
Kozlova Irina Vladimirovna, PhD in Philology, Head of laboratory (Saint Petersburg)
Bobrihin Andrey Anatol’evich, PhD in Philology, Associate professor (Yekaterinburg)
Kuznetsova Lidiya Vital’evna, PhD in Philology, Senior lecturer (Saint Petersburg)
Poselyagin Nikolay Vladimirovich, PhD in Philology, Lecturer (Moscow)
Rychkova Nadezhda Nikolaevna, Rsearch fellow (Moscow)
Ryygas Elena Vladimirovna, MA in Philology, Lecturer (Saint Petersburg)
Rygovskiy Danila Sergeevich, Departmental assistant (Novosibirsk)
Shumov Konstantin Eduardovich, PhD in Philology, Associate professor (Perm)
Naumova Yuliya Nikolaevna, MA in Philology, Lecturer (Moscow)
Fahretdinov Rustam Ibragimovich, MA in Philology, Postgraduate student (Saint Petersburg)
Litvin Evgeniya Aleksandrovna, Postgraduate student (Moscow)
Alpatov Sergey Viktorovich, PhD in Philology, Associate professor at MSU Department of Folklore (Moscow)
Rassyhaev Aleksey Nikolaevich, PhD in Philology (Syktyvkar)
Stroganova Evgeniya Nahimovna, Doctor of Philology, Professor (Tver)
Stroganov Mihail Viktorovich, Doctor of Philology, Professor (Tver)
Arzyutov Dmitriy Vladimirovich, PhD in History, Research fellow (Saint Petersburg)
Komelina Natal’ya Gennad’evna, PhD in Philology, Research fellow (Saint Petersburg)
Piperski Aleksandr Chedovich, Research fellow (Moscow)
Uspenskiy Pavel Fedorovich, PhD in Philology, Lecturer (Moscow)